Tandoori Lamb Chops

These pan seared tandoori lamb chops are bursting with the flavor of fragrant indian spices and have a juicy interior and a beautifully browned exterior. To make the easy lamb chop marinade you need yogurt, ginger, garlic and few spices to tame the gaminess of the meat, along with fresh herbs and a splash of lemon juice. Ideal lamb chops recipe to make for your summer grilling and bbq parties!

Lamb isn't that popular in India and I didn't grow up eating a lot of lamb chops, rather mostly mutton. Muttons chops are fancy and expensive, so occasionally, mom would would treat us to her special masala mutton chops, and her recipe is the inspiration behind this recipe. The difference is that she simmered the chops with onions, yogurt and whole spices, however, I marinate the lamb chops in a simialr spice paste and then go on to pan sear them.

Here, in United States, lamb is easier to find over mutton and my family adores it. The taste of both kinds of meat immensely varies, however texture and cooking times are quite similar. Drawing from my experience with cooking mutton, I've developed many lamb recipes over time.

When cooking lamb chops on the stove, a heavy cast iron pan or a grill pan is your best friend. It's weight ensures remarkable searing, hence enhancing the flavor of the meat. The charred edges of these succulent lamb chops are the best part! Alternatively, you can prepare the lamb chops in an air fryer, following a similar method to my lamb tikka recipe. The result? Moist, flavorful lamb chops that will delight your taste buds.

Where to Buy Lamb Chops

I purchase a rack of lamb from Trader Joe's or Alberstsons when making it just for us. When I am making them in larger quantity, I buy them at Costco, simply because they are economical. I separate the lamb rack into chops myself - they look neat and are easier to marinate. Trust me it's not difficult to butcher them at all, make sure to use a sturdy sharp knife.

Feel free to use lamb loin chops or more economical lamb cuts in this recipe, or if you're lucky enough to stumble upon mutton chops, they are wonderful too.

Indian Lamb Chop Marinade

If you love to order tandoori lamb chops at indian restaurants, now you can make them at half the price using this easy recipe. This marinade is super easy- just combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Brush or rub the lamb chops with the marinade, leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight (preferably) and then cook 'em.

Marination is a fantastic technique and could easily be one of my favorite cooking processes. It helps meat helps absorb salt and if there are spices present in the marinade, just like in this recipe, you can imagine the enhanced flavor of meat post-marination!

At the heart of this indian lamb chops marinade is the ground spices, which work their magic by subduing the gaminess of the meat while infusing it with aroma, color, and, ofcourse, deep flavors. Here's what you'll need for this flavorful yogurt-based marinade.

• Ground Spices - red chili powder or cayenne pepper (for heat), garam masala powder(for warmth and aroma), ground cinnamon (it's sweet aroma goes well with meat), touch of turmeric powder(to push the color of red chilli powder), coriander powder & cumin powder(for earthy flavor), chaat masala powder (for smoky tanginess). If you do not have chaat masala powder, use black salt or else use bit of extra lemon juice.
• Garlic Paste & Ginger Paste - These take care of any foul smell in the meat, add a ton of flavor. I simple cannot imagine cooking meat dishes without these two ingredients.
• Whole Milk Plain Greek yogurt (or thick yogurt) - We don't need a lot and yogurt should not be watery, it should have a conistency like softened cream cheese. Yogurt lends a gentle tartnes and helps create a moist marinade together with lemon juice, while also protecting ground spices from burning during searing. I prefer to use yogurt because I want to minimize oil quantity (lamb has high fat content on its own) to make the marinade spreadable.
• Herbs - I use fresh cilantro and mint leaves(great pairing with lamb!). If you don't like cilantro, use fresh parsley. Chop the fresh herbs as finely as you can. If you have dried mint at hand, use ½ teaspoon of it. If you want to give these chops a punjabi flair, add little kasuri methi(dried frnigreek leaves). Crush dried herbs between palms of your hand before adding to the marinade.
• Salt, ground black pepper, avocado oil (or any unflavored high smoking point cooking oil) and lemon juice (it's bright sourness pairs wonderfully with red meat.)

How To Cook Tandoori Lamb Chops

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and using a small whisk, mix thoroughly until smooth. The marinade should not be runny else it will slip off the lamb chops.
2. Place lamb chops in a large bowl and add the marinade over them. Using clean hands (or wear gloves), thoroughly rub the marinade on all sides of the chops.

3. Cover the bowl with a cling film and leave to marinate for at least 3-4 hours, refrigetated. For best results, marinate overnight(8 hours). Set the marinated lamb chops out of the fridge 30-40 minutes prior to cooking.
4. Heat up a cast iron skillet(10 inch) on high heat. Add 1.5 tablespoon oil and layer the marinated lamb chops in the skillet. Depending on size, you should be able to place 4-5 chops at a time.

5. Pan-sear in the hot skillet until golden brown on one side. Using tongs, pick and turn and let the other side brown. Use a thermometer and make sure that each lamb chop reaches an internal temperature of 145°F - 150°F when probed at its thickest part, which typically takes 8 to 10 minutes in total. We like ours medium to well done, please adjust cooking time as needed depending on how you like your lamb chops. Here's a guide to cooking temperatures for lamb.
6. Pick using tongs and place on a plate. Repeat pan searing the rest of the lamb chop in a similar way.
7. Let the chops rest for a few minutes before serving. Resting helps the juices reconstitute and the chops taste really juicy!

Air Fryer Lamb Chops

Preheat your air fryer (I use 8 qt) on 400F for 2 minutes. Layer the chops in a single layer on the air fryer basket. If you have a smaller air fryer, you will have to air fry in batches. Highly recommend using a liner for easy cleaning later.

Air fry the tandoori lamb chops for 9-11 minutes, flipping mid way(using tongs). Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer to make sure that they are medium to well done.

What to Serve With Lamb Chops

• I love to serve lamb chops with green chutney and a fresh salad like kachumber salad. If you like a touch of sweet, mango chutney or sweet tamarind chutney is good too.
• Pair them with rice dishes such as jeera rice (cumin scented rice), egg pulao or mushroom pulao for a hearty meal.